Ellsworth Home Services Blog

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Has your home’s air conditioner hit the end of the road? When you’re ready for a replacement, there’s more to consider than just the brand name. You also want to choose the appropriate size unit to maximize its efficiency and usage.

Many homeowners believe that bigger is better when it comes to air conditioners, but that’s not the case. If you install a unit that is too large for your home’s size, you are throwing away money on energy costs each month.

A Cycle of Wasted Energy

If you’ve every experienced an air conditioner that turns on and off frequently, you’ve seen the problem of a too large air conditioner. A unit that is not the right size will cool your home too quickly and turn off soon afterwards. The result is a never-ending cycle of turning on and off that is not only annoying to listen to but also a big waste of energy. Because of the constant cycling, temperature fluctuations are also a big problem.

Experience and Expertise Also Matter

Choosing a unit that is sized appropriately for your home is the best way to get the true value of this important investment. This is why it’s important to work with a full-service HVAC services provider that has deep expertise in installation. At Ellsworth Home Services, we carefully calculate the right size unit for your home before making recommendations. Along with reviewing your home’s square footage and floorplan specifics, we also take into consideration how much natural sunlight particular rooms get, the number of occupants in your home, insulation levels and how well your home can maintain a constant temperature.

With a clear understanding of your specific needs, we work with you to choose the perfect air conditioning unit that will give you many years of home comfort. We offer free estimates, and we’re proud to be an authorized dealer of some of the industry’s highest quality brands, including American Standard, Rheem and Day and Night.

Want to learn more about our installation services? Call us now at 480-593-2265.

Having a cooling or heating problem is never a fun situation. However, not all HVAC issues are created equal. Homeowners are often unsure when their problem is bad enough to warrant calling for emergency service. The following are some guidelines to help you assess your situation when you’ve discovered a problem with your air conditioner or heater.

Air Conditioner Failure

Here in the greater Phoenix metro area, we rely on our air conditioners for much of the year. When a unit stops cooling, interior temperatures can soar rapidly, especially during the late spring through early fall. This is considered an HVAC emergency, particularly if there are young children, pets or elderly family members in the home.

No Heat

There are not many days in the Valley of the Sun when temperatures dip below freezing. But, when they do, you need to have access to adequate heating. If your heat pump or furnace isn’t producing heat, and the interior temperature is dropping quickly, it warrants a call for emergency service.

Safety Concerns

Better safe than sorry when it comes to some issues related to your HVAC system. Leaking refrigerant or gas, smoke or sparks aren’t something to take a “wait and see” approach with. Call immediately if you are worried about the safety of your family or home because of a heater or air conditioner problem.

When It’s Not an HVAC Emergency

Although any problem with your HVAC system can be a hassle, not all issues warrant a call for emergency service. These include:

General repairs when the outdoor temperatures are moderate

Air filter cleaning

Routine maintenance

Installations

System failure due to a power outage

Not Sure If You Need Emergency Service?

Before calling for emergency HVAC service, it’s a good idea to first try these strategies:

Check your thermostat to make sure that the air conditioning or heat hasn’t been turned off.

Go to your circuit box and look to see if a circuit breaker has been tripped. Often, returning a lever to its on position can instantly solve the problem of a unit that has stopped working.

Defrost any buildup of ice on your air conditioner by shutting off the unit and operating the fan to melt the ice. Once the ice has melted, a unit may return to full function.

At Ellsworth Home Services, we hope you never experience an HVAC emergency. However, if you do, we’re here to help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For many years, it was a common belief that attic ventilation wasted energy. Because of this, countless homeowners invested time and money into blocking any source of ventilation as a way to reduce their utility bill. However, thoughts on attic ventilation have changed considerably over the past several decades. Today, we now know that proper attic ventilation is actually beneficial for your home for a variety of reasons, including conserving energy.

Promoting Air Flow

In the greater Phoenix metro area, we are blessed with fantastic weather much of the year, but summers are undeniably hot. In fact, they can be so extreme that the temperature in your attic can exceed 175 degrees. The result? Heat can penetrate your ceilings which drives up cooling costs. It also speeds up the aging process of wood rafters and trusses, which can weaken them to the point that they actually fail. Many homeowners are surprised to learn that attic heat can literally bake the sap out of structural wood. The solution is attic ventilation which promotes natural air flow to move this super-heated air out of your attic.

Eliminating Moisture

Water can also be a problem in an attic, especially during summer monsoon season. The combination of heat and moisture quickly leads to mold growth if there isn’t proper ventilation. Unhealthy mold can begin to grow when humidity levels rise above 65 percent which is very common during Arizona summers. Ventilation can prevent mold growth from starting by helping to remove both the heat and moisture during hot, humid and wet weather.

How Ventilation Works

With properly installed ventilation, there is a continuous flow of outside air through your attic. This helps reduce the load on your heating and cooling systems and protects your attic’s structures and insulation. The process, called convection, allows air to enter your attic and exit out via a roof louver or vent.

Want to learn more? Contact Ellsworth Home Services, your Gilbert attic ventilation experts. We combine installation expertise with the top products in the industry to provide you with a ventilation solution that will increase the durability and energy efficiency of your home or business. Call us today at 480-593-2265 for more information.